Liquid circulating means for washing machines and the like



K. W. LEWIS Oct. 18, 1955 LIQUID CIRCULATING MEANS FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1955 INVENTOR. Krmi WILe 9W3 wis ATTORNEYS K. W. LEWIS Oct. 18, 1955 LIQUID CIRCULATING MEANS FOR WASHING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 28, 1953 llb Ill

IN V EN T 0R. Kemz/fi WLezz/w ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 2,723,771 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 LIQUID CIRCULATING M'EANS FDR WASIMG MACHtNES AND TEE LIKE Kermit W. Lewis, near Minerva, tsiiio Application January 28, 1953, Seriai No. 333,679

6 Claims. (Ci. 68-184) The invention relates to means for circulating water or other liquid in washing machines, dish washers, metallic parts washers, hydrotherapy devices and other apparatus.

In the washing of clothes and the like, it is a known fact that the washing action is produced by passing the soapy water, or other cleaning liquid, through the clothes. Under present practice, washing machines are provided with means for agitating the water, either by means of an oscillating agitator within the tub, or by oscillating or rocking the tub itself.

Such devices all produce substantially the same action, that is, they cause the water to oscillate, or move back and forth in the same path Within the tub, and to a considerable extent the clothes are moved back and forth through the same path, with the movement of the water.

Thus the maximum efficiency of driving the water through the clothes is not obtained, and furthermore the continual movement of the clothes in the water causes rubbing of the clothes against the tub, naturally resulting in wear upon the clothes.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a washing machine in which the tub itself remains stationary, and in which there is no agitator or other moving part within the tub for producing movement of the water therein.

The invention has also for an object, the provision of a washing machine having means for continuously circulating water in the same direction within the tub, so as to continuously drive the water through the clothes in the tub without producing undue movement of the clothes.

Another object is to provide a washing machine including a tub with a propeller chamber beneath the tub, with spaced discharge and inlet openings forming communication between the propeller chamber and the tub.

A further object is to provide such a washing machine having filter means between the tub and the propeller chamber.

A still further object is to provide a washing machine of the character referred to in which the liquid is continuously discharged from the propeller chamber into the lower portion of the tub in such manner that the liquid circulates upwardly and outwardly and then downwardly and inwardly and is returned to the propeller chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine having no moving parts within the tub, in which the water is continuously circulated in the form of a horizontal ring the cross section of which is continually rotating.

A further object is to provide such a machine having a tub provided with a curved bottom wall having spaced perforate portions, and means for discharging liquid from the propeller chamber onto imperforate portions of the bottom wall located between said perforate portions.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be later referred to may be attained by constructing the improved machine and operating it in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional View of a clothes washing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 a plan section of one-half of the washing machine, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a section of one-half of the machine, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 a'fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 a schematic view of a modification of the machine; and,

Fig. 7 a schematic view of another modified form of the invention.

Although the invention is applicable to various apparatus, including clothes Washing machines, dish washers, apparatus for washing metallic parts and the like, and hydrotherapy devices, for the purposes of illustration the invention is disclosed herein as applied to a clothes Washing machine.

Referring now more particularly to the washing machine shown in Figs. 1 to 5, a substantially cylindrical tub is shown at 10, having the concaved bottom wall 11 which may be, as best shown in Fig. 1, in the form of an insert or false bottom attached at its upper, outer perimeter to the side Wall of the tub as by the peripheral flange 12 and the annular flange 12' carried by the side wall of the tub.

This bottom wall 11 is in the form of a concaved annulus having the central opening 13, spaced above which is mounted the horizontal platform 14 of somewhat greater diameter than the central opening 13.

The platform 14 is rigidly supported in spaced position above the curved bottom wall by the substantially V- shape sheet metal members 15 which form therebetween the discharge outlets 16 from the propeller chamber 17 to the interior of the tub 10. Closures 18 are fixed upon the outer, angular edges of the V-shape members 15. The platform 14 is raised above the terminal of the curved bottom wall so as to hold the clothes above and at least partly out of contact with the discharge passages 16.

Spaced, perforated portions 19 are provided in the curved bottom wall 11, between which are located the imperforate portions 20 opposite to the discharge openings 16. An annular filter 21, of any suitable design, may extend from the center opening 13 in the curved bottom wall 11 to the flat bottom Wall 22.

For the purpose of reducing swirling action of the water, radial vanes 23 may extend downwardly from the curved bottom wall 11 around the exterior of the filter 21.

A propeller, indicated generally at 24, of any suitable design, comprising a circular end wall 25 and radial blades 26, is located within the propeller chamber 17, the hub 27 thereof being fixed upon a drive shaft 28 journalled through a suitable bearing 29 in the flat bottom wall 22 and provided with a pulley or the like, as indicated at 30, for operatively connecting drive means thereto, such as a belt from a motor or the like.

As best shown in Fig. 1, each blade 26 of the propeller is offset inwardly at a point corresponding with the lower sides of the discharge passages 16 and a ring 26' is attached thereto.

A center post may be located above the platform 14, as indicated at 31, and may be provided with the conical base portion 32 for separating clothes placed in the tub for washing, and for controlling the flow of the water.

If desired, a pipe or tube 33 may be located within the center post 31, communicating at its lower end with the propeller chamber 17 and having a valve 34, similar to the conventional automobile tire valve, at its upper end,

and extending above and below the inner perimeter of said concaved annular wall, a centrifugal propeller in said chamber, said propeller having a horizontal end wall located adjacent to the under side of said platform and radial blades extending downwardly from said end wall, and a ring connected to the outer edges of the blades adjacent to the bottom of the discharge outlets, and means for rotating the propeller.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tub having side wall structure and a bottom wall, an insert in the lower portion of the tub, said insert comprising a horizontal platform of less area than the tub and spaced above the bottom wall of the tub, a concaved annular wall extending from a point spaced below the peripheral portion of said platform upwardly and outwardly to the side walls of the tub at a point spaced above said platform, spaced downwardly and outwardly inclined closure members extending from the periphery of the platform to intermediate points on the concaved annular wall and defining discharge outlets therebetween, there being spaced groups of inlet openings in the concaved annular wall beyond and radially aligned with said closure members, the portions of the concaved annular wall radially aligned with said discharge outlets being imperforate, there being a propeller chamber between said platform and the bottom wall of the tub and within and extending above and below the inner perimeter of said concaved annular wall, a centrifugal propeller in said chamber, and means for rotating the propeller, a vertical tube centrally located upon the horizontal platform and extending above the water line of the tub, the lower end of said tube communicating with the propeller chamber, and an air valve in the upper end of the tube.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tub having side wall structure and a bottom wall, an insert in the lower portion of the tub, said insert comprising a horizontal platform of less area than the tub and spaced above the bottom wall of the tub, a concaved annular wall extending from a point spaced below the peripheral portion of said platform upwardly and outwardly to the side walls of the tub at a point spaced above said platform, spaced downwardly and outwardly inclined closure members extending from the periphery of the platform to intermediate points on the concaved annular wall and defining discharge outlets therebetween, radial walls extending between the platform and the annular concaved wall forming discharge passages communicating with said discharge outlets, there being spaced groups of inlet openings in the concaved annular wall beyond and radially aligned with said closure members, the portions of the concaved annular wall radially aligned with said discharge outlets being imperforate, there being a propeller chamber between said platform and the bottom wall of the tub and within and extending above and below the inner perimeter of said concaved annular wall, a centrifugal propeller in said chamber, and means for rotating the propeller.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tub having side wall structure and a bottom wall, an insert in the lower portion of the tub, said insert comprising a horizontal platform of less area than the tub and spaced above the bottom wall of the tub, a concaved annular wall extending from a point spaced below the peripheral portion of said platform upwardly and outwardly to the side walls of the tub at a point spaced above said platform, spaced downwardly and outwardly inclined closure members extending from the periphery of the platform to intermediate points on the concaved annular wall and defining discharge outlets therebetween, there being spaced groups of inlet openings in the concaved annular wall beyond and radially aligned with said closure members, the portions of the concaved annular wall radially aligned with said discharge outlets being imperforate, radial vanes extending downwardly from said concaved annular wall at points between said groups of inlet openings, there being a propeller chamber between said platform and the bottom wall of the tub and within and extending above and below the inner perimeter of said concaved annular wall, a centrifugal propeller in said chamber, and means for rotating the propeller.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a tub having side wall structure and a bottom wall, an insert in the lower portion of the tub, said insert comprising a perforate horizontal platform of less area than the tub and spaced above the bottom wall of the tub, a con caved annular wall extending from a point spaced below the peripheral portion of said platform upwardly and outwardly to the side walls of the tub at a point spaced above said platform, spaced downwardly and outwardly inclined closure members extending from the periphery of the platform to intermediate points on the concaved annular wall and defining discharge outlets therebetween, there being spaced groups of inlet openings in the concaved annular wall beyond and radially aligned with said closure members, the portions of the concaved annular wall radially aligned with said discharge outlets being imperforate, there being a propeller chamber between said platform and the bottom wall of the tub and within and extending above and below the innerperimeter of said concaved annular wall, a centrifugal propeller in said chamber having a horizontal Wall intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, and means for rotating the propeller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 20,424 Rocke June 22, 1937 764,613 Moreland July 12, 1904 1,382,117 Opocensky June 21, 1921 1,422,547 Doman July 11, 1922 1,902,165 Hansen Mar. 21, 1933 2,250,315 Rocke July 22, 1941 2,336,127 Rocke Dec. 7, 1943 

